Congressional appropriators in the House and Senate are continuing to negotiate on a federal spending package for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Negotiations follow a monthslong stalemate between Democratic and Republican legislators, who have disagreed on overall funding numbers for U.S. Department of Defense and other programs and on whether to maintain certain policy provisions included in the previous year’s spending bill.
As a result of the stalemate, Congress has enacted a series of continuing resolutions (CRs), which maintain federal funding levels from the previous fiscal year to keep federal programs operating. The current CR is set to expire on February 18, at which point Congress will need to pass an FY22 spending bill or enact another CR. Otherwise, the government will face a shutdown.
The FY22 spending bill presents Congress with an opportunity to move the nation towards universal, stable, and affordable homes for all by making significant investments in affordable housing, including by expanding the Housing Choice Vouchers program to an additional 125,000 households with low incomes. The House spending bill would provide HUD programs with almost $7 billion more than was provided in FY21 and guarantee significant funding increases for nearly all HUD programs, including an expansion of rental assistance through the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program to an additional 125,000 households. The Senate proposal, however, would provide HUD with over $1 billion less than the House proposal and would not include any major expansion of rental assistance.
Advocates should continue to urge members of Congress to enact a final spending bill that provides the most possible funding for affordable housing and community development programs and includes the House proposal to expand rental assistance to an additional 125,000 households.
Take Action!
The FY22 appropriations bill must advance the HoUSed campaign’s bold agenda for affordable housing. We cannot let lawmakers pass up this historic opportunity to make desperately needed affordable housing investments.
Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to enact an FY22 spending bill that includes the major expansion of housing vouchers included in the House bill.